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Groton panel approves more funding for Sargisson Beach

By Pierre Comtois, Correspondent

Updated:
08/11/2014 09:48:48 PM EDT

GROTON -- A number of emergency requests for financial assistance led to a discussion on the philosophy of the Community Preservation Committee and its responsibility for disbursing the public funds it manages for taxpayers.

At issue at its meeting Monday were "out of cycle" applications by the Sargisson Beach Committee, the Conservation Commission, and the Groton Trails Committee.

In each, groups applied for more funding in addition to previously awarded moneys intended for projects recommended by the CPC and subsequently approved at Town Meeting.

One group succeeded in acquiring the support of the committee.

Speaking for the Sargisson Beach Committee was Town Manager Mark Haddad, who told CPC members that five bids had been received for erosion-control work planned for the public beach but that due to the need for getting the whole project finished at once in terms of cost and practicality, the whole thing needed to be paid for at once and not in two parts as originally planned.

The Sargisson Beach Committee had originally been approved for $109,000 covering the first part of the job with the understanding that the remaining cost of the project, totaling $76,000, would be appropriated later.

"It's cheaper for the town in the long run," said Haddad to do the project all at once.

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Delays for the second part, he said, would only cause bids to rise in an inflationary economy while taking the risk that contractors would decline to bid on such a small portion of the project.

Agreeing with Haddad, Town Planner Michelle Collette said waiting a year would only add to the damage being done to the beach.

"This issue needs to be addressed sooner rather than later," said Collette. "It's a really good project that is long overdue."

"I think it's the worthwhile thing to do," agreed CPC member Robert DeGroot. "It seems stupid to start and go and then wait a whole year. Let's get it done. We've got the cash."

DeGroot added that the conditions noted by Haddad and Collette involved "unusual circumstances" that were covered in CPC rules.

But DeGroot's plea sparked some debate among members about the danger of setting a precedent for such "out of cycle" requests, with fellow member Bruce Easom dissenting.

Easom, who attended the meeting remotely, argued that the potential cost of a project was not enough to trigger the unusual-circumstances rule. There was danger in making such requests the rule and not the exception to CPC practices.

Hadded disagreed on the issue of cost, saying it should be a "major consideration" by the committee. Haddad said it was the responsibility of town officers to keep the welfare of taxpayers in mind when making their decisions.

Members were split, but approved the request, 3-1, with Easom in dissent and Gineane Haberlin abstaining.

The question will next move on to fall Town Meeting.

The Conservation Commission, was represented at the meeting Monday by Administrator Takashi Tada.

Tada told the board that with only $425,000 remaining in the commission's conservation fund, additional money was needed to make sure there would be enough to meet any opportunity that came up to buy open land.

At the moment, Tada said, the commission was in discussions with owners of two properties, an 80-acre tract off Graniteville Road and a 21.5-acre site in West Groton.

Although Tada said the exact cost of each property was not yet known due to ongoing negotiations, enough money needed to be in the conservation fund to pay for the town's share of purchase prices after any state or federal grants were awarded.

Overall, said Tada, it was understood that between $700,000 and $1 million should be in the fund at all times to make sure adequate money was available to cover contingencies.

But members were not convinced the situation met the "unusual-circumstances" standard and voted down the request.

According to Tada, the denial may not damage the commission's pursuit of the two properties and negotiations for their purchase were expected to continue.

The Trails Committee requested a guarantee by the CPC for coverage of $4,400 needed to match a grant of $17,600 toward upgrading a portion of the Nashua River Trail for handicapped-accessibility.

Members decided it did not meet the unusual circumstances standard and voted against it.

When the town decided to establish the CPC in 2004, it also set a maximum rate of 3 percent for a surcharge to be added on top of what residents pay in property taxes in order to fund the provisions of the law.

Money raised could only be spent on the purchase of open space, the creation of affordable housing, and historic preservation. On a more limited basis, funds could also be used for recreation purposes.

Funds raised by way of the surcharge are administered by the CPC through the application process.

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